Connect with us

News

India – China agree to ‘de-escalate’ border tensions

Published

on

India and China have agreed to de-escalate tensions along their disputed border after a conversation between its leaders, a senior Indian official said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping spoke on the sidelines of the Brics summit in South Africa on Wednesday.

Beijing said the meeting was held at Mr Modi’s request.

Relations between India and China have been worsening for more than three years.

The two world powers are facing off against each other along their ill-defined 3,440km (2,100-mile)-long border – known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC) – in the Himalayan region.

Mr Xi and Mr Modi met on the sidelines of the Brics summit in Johannesburg. The Brics countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – are often seen as a counterweight to the Western-led world.

On Thursday, Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said that both sides had agreed to step up efforts for the disengagement of troops along the LAC.

“The Prime Minister underlined that maintenance of peace and tranquility in the border areas and observing and respecting the LAC are essential for the normalisation of the India-China relationship,” Mr Kwatra said.

“In this regard, the two leaders agreed to direct their relevant officials to intensify efforts at expeditious disengagement and de-escalation,” he added.

China’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the two leaders had “a candid and in-depth exchange of views on current China-India relations and other questions of shared interest”.

“President Xi stressed that improving China-India relations serves the common interests of the two countries and peoples, and is also conducive to peace, stability and development of the world and the region,” the statement said.

It also added: “The two sides should bear in mind the overall interests of their bilateral relations and handle properly the border issue so as to jointly safeguard peace and tranquility in the border region.”

According to The Indian Express newspaper, no interpreters or note-takers were around when the two leaders spoke to each other.

Mr Xi and Mr Modi last spoke on the sidelines of the G20 summit in 2022.

Mr Xi is expected to arrive in India for the G20 summit hosted by Delhi on 9 and 10 September.

(BBC News)

News

Man arrested with counterfeit currency notes in Kandy

Published

on

By

A suspect has been arrested by the Hatharaliyadda Police in connection with the possession and attempted circulation of counterfeit currency notes.

Acting on a tip-off over an attempt to use a fake Rs.5,000 note at a local shop, police apprehended the suspect yesterday (June 20).

He was found with 03 fake Rs.5,000 notes, 02 fake Rs.500 notes, and 02 fake Rs.100 notes in his possession.

The 32-year-old suspect is a resident of Uduwa, Kandy.

A search of his residence uncovered printed sheets for fake Rs.50, Rs.100, Rs.500, and Rs.5,000 notes.

Police had also seized a computer and printer from a location in the Galagedara area believed to be linked to the production of the counterfeit currency notes although the suspect was not present there at the time.

Further investigations are underway.

Continue Reading

News

Complaint over misuse of President’s Fund during Maithri’s tenure

Published

on

By

A complaint has been lodged with the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) yesterday (20), alleging the misappropriation of Rs. 27.5 million from the President’s Fund during the tenure of former President Maithripala Sirisena in 2019.

Filed by Vice Chairman of the Eppawala Cooperative Society – P.V. Lakshman Jayawardena, the case claims that the funds were intended for the construction of a conference hall on land belonging to the society following a request made to the President’s Office in 2017.

Jayawardena notes that the land was officially acquired for the construction of the hall, with an estimated budget of Rs.130 million initially proposed. However, due to the involvement of the Sri Lanka Army for labor contributions, the cost was later estimated to be Rs.73 million.

He further states that Rs.25 million was disbursed during the first phase of construction, but work was subsequently halted midway.

The complaint also notes that 07 commercial shops had previously existed before being demolished for the project. However, valuable items like doors, windows, and fittings had mysteriously gone missing, the complaint alleges.

Jayawardena has requested a thorough investigation into the financial mismanagement, the disappearance of goods, and the failure of the project.

Continue Reading

News

Parliament slashes monthly staff meal fee after protests

Published

on

By

The Parliamentary House Committee yesterday (June 20) decided to reduce the monthly food fee from parliamentary officers and employees, reversing a recent increase.

As per the new decision, the meal fee for executive officers has been reduced from Rs.4,000 to Rs.3,000, and for general employees from Rs.2,500 to Rs.2,000. 

This marks the third revision of the meal fee in recent times.

Parliamentary sources said the reduction was made in response to requests from staff. A group of employees recently submitted a letter to parliamentary leadership, announcing a boycott of the dining hall due to unaffordable food costs following allowance cuts.

Meanwhile, the monthly food allowance for Members of Parliament was recently increased.

Related News :

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2024 Sri Lanka Mirror. All Rights Reserved